PDI+Application+Process

 To join PDI, a student must enroll in the Design, Innovation, & Society (DIS) major in the STS Department (School of HASS) as well as an optional dual major in engineering, management, or any other area. Because our program receives more interest from students than we have resources to accommodate, we require students who desire to transfer into the program (including those seeking to add DIS as a dual major) to submit an application. This post provides instructions on the application-submission process, including what to include in the application.

It is important to keep in mind that the application process is competitive, and there is no guarantee of acceptance. To be most competitive, your application should follow the instructions below carefully. Admissions decisions will be made prior to the opening of the registration period or prior to the start of classes for the following term, so you'll probably want to plan registration for future courses for both possible outcomes: Acceptance in PDI and non-acceptance.

1. Application due date: ** Typically two weeks **   **prior to the relevant semester's registration period** 2. Application format: ****ONE document in PDF format (******maximum 5MB)** **with this filename**: [LastName] PDI Application [term, e.g. FA15] 3. Application components: **1. Statement of Interest, 2. Plan of Study, and 3. Optional Supplementary Material** 4. Submit competed application as an attachment to ** nieusma@rpi.edu ** 5. Application decisions: **You will be informed of our decision within two weeks of the application deadline** Further details on what to include in each section of the application are included below. If you have any questions about the program, make sure to carefully review our webpage first: www.pdi.rpi.edu . If you still have questions about the program, or if you have specific questions about the application process, contact PDI Director, Dean Nieusma at **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> nieusma@rpi.edu **.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">__Statement of Interest__ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A one-page maximum statement of interest that includes: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">__Plan of Study__ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Map out your entire time at RPI semester-by-semester assuming that you are accepted in the program: For PAST semesters, include actual courses taken and your final course grades; For the CURRENT semester, include your courses; For FUTURE semesters, project your course enrollment. For students applying to enter in the Fall semester, you must include for your first semester both IHSS 1610 PDI Studio 1 (MR 2-4:50pm) and STSH 1110 Science, Technology, & Society (TF 2-3:50pm). For students applying to enter in the Spring semester, you must include for your first semester both ENGR 2020 PDI Studio 2 (TF 9-11:50am ) and STSS 2210 Design, Culture, & Society (STSS 2210, MR 10-11:50am ). <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;">You are not allowed to double up on PDI studios in your first year in the program. Keep in mind that semesters with more than 17 credit hours and semesters with more than one design studio of any sort are risk factors when assessing your potential success. Also keep in mind that certain courses, including all PDI Studios, are offered only one term per year: PDI Studio courses are numbered by term, so Studios 1, 3, and 5 are offered Fall term only and Studios 2 and 6 are Spring term only. PDI Studios are not currently offered in the summer. The following PDI Studios may be taken out of order: 1 and 2 can be taken out of order and 5 and 6 can be taken out of order. For engineering dual majors, IED counts as Studio 4 and your engineering capstone (usually Multidisciplinary Design) counts as Studio 7.
 * 1) Your name, the date, your current major/dual majors, your class year, and your RIN;
 * 2) Your understanding of what the program entails and what skills it emphasizes;
 * 3) Why you are interested in the program; and
 * 4) Your qualifications for the program, including evidence suggesting you will be successful both academically and in terms of fitting in with the program's approach

__<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;">Supplementary Material __ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">You may include a short section highlighting your prior work that is relevant to your application, such as prior design work, CAD, art, STS coursework, a compelling writing sample, etc. You may draw from an existing portfolio if you have one, but don't include it in its entirety. You may also direct us to an electronic portfolio via an Internet URL. This section is optional.